Father’s Day

Mother’s Day is blown out of the water with marketing, while Father’s Day seems to get the short end of the advertising stick. We didn’t even have an official father’s day here in the states, until 1972. 1972!

But we couldn’t have mothers without fathers, no matter how progressive and self-sufficient we may think we are.

Yet despite all of this indignation, I realized I’ve never written about fathers. Mothers, yes, but not fathers.

Triathlon Girl and I have great parents. They have always been there for each of us whenever we needed them. I told you a little bit about Tom and Betty here.

Whatever your politics, Bill Clinton made a statement to Chelsea I think we can all appreciate. “As long as you’re in this house, being president is my second most important job.”

Ellis told me before his first daughter was born, “Mom, I know one of the reasons God put me on this earth was to be a dad and I know what kind of dad I’m going to be. I already know the things I want to do with my kids.”

In just one week, Tom will be 90, so the family’s throwing him a little shin-dig down at the church. He is the oldest father in our family. His grandson, Ellis, is the youngest. He’s 25. His two girls are 1 & 2 years old. He hasn’t slept through the night in two years and won’t for another 18. There has been little adult conversation that doesn’t have background screams of mayhem. (Payback is great!)

Being a real dad takes more than just one of those little swimmy things finding their way up the chute, so I thought I’d show you a few pictures of these two men who are not only fathers, but more importantly, they’re “Daddy.”

Tom (84) & Ellis (18) 2010 USMC Boot Graduation

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Tom & Ellis about 1996.

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Tom at the water pump at his home, early mid-1940s. This has nothing to do with this post. But I love the picture.

“Tommy” about 1940 (14?)

Ellis 2007 (16)

About 1944, WWII

2010, Okinawa

2015 Maleigha on Ellis’s shoulders

1957 (That’s Tom pulling me!)

Two good daddies.

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” —Billy Graham

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